English Requirements for GSM Visa – All You Need To Know
You might have been aware that the General Skilled Migration visa has a lot of requirements to be met, including the English visa requirement. This may be another crucial condition that you should require in order to be granted a General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visa.
GSM Visa consists of Subclass 189, Subclass 190, and Subclass 191 that might be your options if you’re directly aiming for permanent residency while studying, working and living in Australia.
Meanwhile you must meet specific points for each English skill to be granted the visa.
English Requirements for GSM Visa
Subclass 190, subclass 191 and subclass 189 visas are included in the GSM visa. These visas need at least competent English to get the invitation. However, the higher level you get, the higher your chance to be invited. The specific points are explained below.
Read more: Alternative English Test other than IELTS for Migration Purposes.
How do I meet the Requirement?
- The test of your 189 and 190 visa cannot undertaken more than 3 years the date of your invitation
- If you’re claiming partner points then your partner must be in Competent English when invited.
- As a primary applicant you’ll be awarded additional points if your partner had competent English skills at the time you’ve been invited.
- You don’t need to prove your english proficiency if you are a passport holder from:
- Canada
- New Zealand
- The Republic of Ireland
- The United Kingdom
- The United States of America
Generally, a GSM Visa requires an EOI (Expression Of Interest). In this application you’re required to prove that you as an applicant must be passed for the required components such as; reading, writing, listening, and speaking about your interest.

Minimum Required Scores of 189 and 190 Visa
The minimum English requirement for 189 and 190 Visa is Competent English. However, reaching this level won’t give you any points. You will only earn points for your English proficiency if you reach Proficient English or Superior English.
Competent English:
| English Test | English Components | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| C1 Advanced | 163 | 163 | 170 | 179 |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| IELTS Academic & General Training | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 57 | 60 | 64 | 70 |
| MET | 56 | 55 | 57 | 48 |
| OET | 290 | 310 | 290 | 330 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| TOEFL iBT | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 |
Proficient English:
| English Test | English Components | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| C1 Advanced | 175 | 179 | 193 | 194 |
| CELPIP General | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| IELTS Academic & General Training | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 67 | 71 | 78 | 82 |
| MET | 61 | 63 | 74 | 59 |
| OET | 350 | 360 | 380 | 360 |
| PTE Academic | 58 | 59 | 69 | 76 |
| TOEFL iBT | 22 | 22 | 26 | 24 |
Superior English
| English Test | English Components | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| C1 Advanced | 186 | 190 | 210 | 208 |
| CELPIP General | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| IELTS Academic & General Training | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 80 | 83 | 89 | 89 |
| OET | 390 | 400 | 420 | 400 |
| PTE Academic | 69 | 70 | 85 | 88 |
| TOEFL iBT | 26 | 27 | 30 | 28 |
189 Visa English Requirement for Hong Kong Passport Holder
If you’re a Hong Kong passport holder and intend to apply for 189 visa, then you must have at least Functional English level with details as below.
| English Test | Overall Band Score | Average Band Score | Total Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General | 5 | |||||
| IELTS Academic & General Training | 4.5 | |||||
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 38 | |||||
| MET | 38 | |||||
| OET | 1020 | |||||
| PTE Academic | 24 | |||||
| TOEFL iBT | 26 | |||||
English Requirements for 191 Visa
If you intend to apply for a 191 visa, you must meet the basic eligibility requirement of holding either a subclass 494 visa or a subclass 491 visa.
Additionally, you must demonstrate at least functional English proficiency to be considered for the 191 Visa – Hong Kong stream. With a minimum score below:
| English Test | Overall Band Score | Average Band Score | Total Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General | 5 | |||||
| IELTS Academic & General Training | 4.5 | |||||
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 38 | |||||
| MET | 38 | |||||
| OET | 1020 | |||||
| PTE Academic | 24 | |||||
| TOEFL iBT | 26 | |||||
If you want to maximize your chances of being granted an Australian visa, it’s important to be fully prepared to meet this requirement. To make sure that you’ve got the right pathway you may contact the professional agent that already mastered in their fields.
Are you looking for professional consultation to discuss your English Proficiency for Australia visa applications?
Our visa specialists at ONEderland Consulting will assist and give you complete suggestions about the visa English requirements you’d like to take for your application visa in Australia.
We have a 98% success rate and are one of Australia’s most highly recommended migration agents. Read our 4.9* score customer reviews.
We are complex visa specialists. As a registered Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA), we are regulated in our professional practice and bound by the profession’s Code of Conduct issued by the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
Take the first step and contact us. Our team members are honest, accountable and professional. Contact us via email at [email protected], by phone at 1300 827 159, or through WhatsApp at +61494372414. Alternatively, you can book your consultation online, and it is backed by our 100% Money-Back Guarantee Program.


